Around this time of year, parades are held in many German cities (mainly in the south as it's a pre-Lenten Catholic tradition).

At the event in Würzburg, German patriots managed to stage a protest against Merkel's asylum policy. Posing as "refugees" while wearing blackface and caps in Jamaica's national colours they held up a banner which read "Wir wissen es genau, abschieben wird uns keine Sau" [We know it perfectly, no pig can deport us]. They went around saying "Ficki, Ficki!" and "Money, Money!".

Police have apologised for not noticing this "hate crime" at the time it occurred. Authorities are now investigating with a view to prosecution. The state broadcaster has deleted the footage from its online video library.

Ironically, however, it is the German patriots who most authentically embody the spirit of the Fasching carnival. Traditionally, it was a time for protesting against authority and ridiculing powerful people. In earlier centuries, pseudo-governments were sometimes formed to challenge the existing ones with mock decrees during festival time. Masks were originally worn to escape retribution for satirising the powerful.

Now here we have effectively a recreation of the situation long past in which the rulers make foolish and harmful decisions, people seek an outlet to protest against them and governments then seek to punish them for expressing their dissent.